Harry Kane has been named the best footballer in the world, winning the Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career. The England captain beat Kylian Mbappe of France and Lamine Yamal of Spain to collect the prestigious award at the London Palladium.
The 33-year-old, who scored 73 goals for club and country in the 2025-26 season, is now hotly tipped to become 'Sir Harry' after a glowing tribute from the Prime Minister. He is the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.
A Night to Remember
Kane, flanked by supporters capturing the moment on their phones, proudly held the trophy aloft. He fought back tears as he paid tribute to his parents, wife, kids, and even his brother Charlie during his acceptance speech.
He said: "My brother Charlie is here. I know you tell me that I got your ability as a footballer so I appreciate that. To have the love and support from an older brother means the world to me."
He added: "To my children at home watching, it is a bit later than we thought but to Ivy, Henry, Vivienne and Louis, I cannot wait to see you. Kate, my best friend, you are my biggest supporter, here we are now, we've done it."
Knighthood Hints
Downing Street hinted at a knighthood. A spokeswoman for No 10 said: "To be the first Englishman to win it in 25 years is an extraordinary achievement, and what a moment to do it here at home."
She added: "Seventy years after Sir Stanley Matthews won the inaugural award, it caps a remarkable season and Harry continues to set a brilliant example to young players across the country, and the PM knows the whole nation will be incredibly proud of him. And, hopefully, there's another trophy to celebrate with England before too long."
On the knighthood question, she said: "I think everyone would agree, Harry Kane has given an enormous amount to English football, and this is a very special moment for him and the country, but, as ever, I'm not going to pre-empt the honours process."
Roots and Recognition
Kane was born in Leytonstone, London, before moving to Chigwell, Essex, where he played for the same junior team, Ridgeway Rovers, as his childhood hero David Beckham. David Bricknell, who coached Kane for Ridgeway under-7s, said: "He is the perfect role model for any kid coming into the game. He is an absolute credit to his parents. I saw him three weeks ago and he gave me a big hug and asked about my family. He kept the England coach waiting. He has never forgotten his roots."
Kane also paid tribute to his former coach at Spurs, Chris Ramsey, in his acceptance speech. "It does not surprise me that he has won, he was hands down the best player," said Chris. "He has had an unbelievable season. He will look back with his grandchildren in the years to come to see the players he beat to this award. He never stopped believing, when lots of people did not believe in him. I am so proud."
Kane's stunning 2025-26 campaign saw him win two trophies with Bayern Munich and lead England to third place at the World Cup. He followed in the footsteps of Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, and Kevin Keegan to win the award and listed the "sacrifices, saunas, ice baths."
He admitted: "Even now, I am thinking if I can win it again." England boss Thomas Tuchel said: "I ran out of superlatives to describe your performances a long time ago." Kane is England's top goalscorer with 91 goals and has 125 England caps, joint-highest with Peter Shilton.
